


Quack Quack

by esperink



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Insecurity, Pre-Episode: Accepting Anxiety, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, also this will include all the sides, characters added as we go along, i also don't know what i'm doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2020-11-08 16:02:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20838233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esperink/pseuds/esperink
Summary: Virgil isn't the only one who's thought about ducking out before.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> stuffs: intrusive thoughts of dangerous behavior(?), but just at the beginning, Patton’s disapproval of the trash man (though Patton isn’t in the chapter), trash man himself (though he’s called Creativity here), mentions of bugs and harm to bugs, feelings of insecurity, mention of the Creativity split, one single mention of Deceit
> 
> Personal note: while I have no control over what people do, I think it would be very awesome and nice if anybody who comments on this does not use trash man’s name, as it has a negative effect on me and even the name was difficult to type in the tags. I’ll probably put this note at the end too.

“Maybe we should jump out a car!”

Anxiety hummed, frowning a little. “No.”

“What if we disappeared?”

“No.” Anxiety continued to braid strings together.

“What if _I_ disappeared?”

That one gave him pause. Anxiety looked up slowly at the other.

The other part of Creativity. Creativity 2, Deceit called him. Only a year ago they had just one Creativity, but something had happened. Something made them split.

“What?” Anxiety asked.

Anxiety never knew exactly what happened, but he thought it had to do with Morality deciding what was good, and what was bad. Good ideas, and bad ideas.

The smaller Side pressed his lips together and looked elsewhere. “Morality got mad at me again.”

“Oh.”

“He hates me, Anxiety!” Creativity stood up, and he would be towering over the other Side if he wasn’t so small. “I don’t know why.”

“What did you say today?”

“Why does it always have to be something I said?” Anxiety hummed, and then Creativity sighed, crossing his arms. “I just thought it would be cool to see what the inside of a caterpillar looked like.” He mimed smashing something with a hammer.

“What did Logic say?”

“He said there were probably better ways to find out. That didn’t have to do with crushing bugs.”

Anxiety hesitated. “And Roman?”

“… I think he hates me as much as Morality does.” Creativity sank to the floor. “So what if I just disappeared? Thomas won’t need me. Nobody would need me…”

“You don’t know that. We’re like, eight.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe when we grow up they’ll want you. You know those scary movies grown-ups like?” Anxiety personally hated them, but he needed to make a point. Creativity nodded. “I don’t think Roman could do that. But you would. Maybe Thomas can become a scary movie maker when we grow up. Or maybe one of those scientists who like to look inside things.”

Creativity sat up and leaned against Anxiety’s shoulder.

“My point is,” Anxiety said with a sigh, “you’re not useless. We just haven’t found anything for you yet.”

“Can we find a name?”

“What?” Anxiety tilted his head in confusion.

Creativity waved a hand. “The others have names. Logic and Morality do. Even Roman has a name, and he used to be a part of me.”

“Yeah, I guess. I guess we can find a name for you.”

Creativity grinned, clasping his hands together. “Good!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stuffs: deceit, sympathetic deceit, blink-and-you-miss-it implied homophobia

“Hm.”

“Hm?”

“Perhaps I should… leave.”

Anxiety, who’d been leaning against Deceit, sat up quickly. “What? No!” he said.

“Why not?” Deceit said.

Anxiety frowned. “Why in the first place?”

Deceit crossed his arms, looking off into the distance. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Lie,” Anxiety said. “It does. Why would you want to leave?” He didn’t want him to leave. He felt uneasy at the idea of Deceit disappearing.

“Nobody likes a liar, Anxiety!” Deceit hissed, rubbing a hand against his scales. “Nobody wants me around. Morality seems to think my existence is wrong, neither of the Creativities care, and I don’t think Logic really likes me either.”

“Lie,” Anxiety hissed back. “I like you. I want you around.” _Please don’t leave me_. Deceit looked away. “Also, you have a purpose, you know.”

“Lying is a terrible purpose.”

Anxiety leaned against Deceit again, shrugging. “Lying can be good.” Deceit scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “I swear.” Anxiety had to think a moment (they were only thirteen, after all) but then he said, “Sometimes it keeps people safe.”

“And how does lying keep anyone safe?”

“Well, like today, for example.” Anxiety shrugged again, leaning his head back to rest on Deceit’s shoulder. “When someone asked Thomas who he liked. Who knows what would have happened if anyone knew the truth?”

“I suppose that’s one way,” Deceit allowed.

Anxiety bit his lip, pulling a leg up to wrap his arm around and rest his head on. “I’d miss you if you left,” he said quietly.

It was silent for a few minutes.

Anxiety looked at Deceit. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I don’t even have a name.” Deceit looked down at his hands.

“Do you want one?”

There was a long pause. “No,” Deceit said finally. “I don’t need a name to do my job right.”

“Are you okay?” Anxiety repeated.

“I’m fine…” A lie, and Anxiety frowned at him. Deceit sighed. “I will be,” he amended, and that was the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stuffs: food/mention
> 
> also it appears the ao3 glitch is back, the glitch where the end note from the first chapter appears at the end of new chapters. It's kind of annoying, does anyone know how to fix it? I put that note specifically for that first chapter. though i guess it's okay because the note was also put at the beginning. hmm.

“Oh, it’s you.”

Anxiety raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. It’s me.”

“If you’re going to be here can you at least get off the counter?”

Anxiety slowly looked around the kitchen before looking back at the creative Side with a deadpan expression. “No,” he said.

Roman scowled at him, simply opening the fridge and scanning the contents. “What do you want?”

“Dude, I could hear your anxiety from my side of the Mindscape.”

“So wh – wait, hear?”

Anxiety tilted his head back just slightly, against the wall. “Yeah. If they’re loud enough, sometimes I can hear your anxious thoughts.”

Roman closed the fridge door, cookie in hand. “I don’t have a response to that,” he said.

Anxiety just shrugged lightly. He didn’t say anything.

“Well, if you’re done –” Roman started, clearly a little unnerved, but he was interrupted.

“Have anything you want to share with the class?” Anxiety asked, crossing his arms.

“I thought you said you could hear it. So wouldn’t you know?” Roman scowled slightly.

“I can generally hear them. Think like… sixth period class. It’s kind of a mess, but you can hear bits and pieces. I can get a general idea of the thoughts.”

Roman crossed his arms, almost mirroring Anxiety, taking a bite of his cookie. “What’s the general idea?”

Anxiety looked up at the ceiling like he was studying it, thinking. “Hopelessness. You’re feeling kind of… useless.” Roman’s silence spoke for itself. He sighed and slid off the counter. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Maybe it’s not stupid,” Roman replied defensively.

“Okay, maybe it’s not stupid,” Anxiety agreed, mostly to get him to listen, waving a hand. “But,” he continued, shoving a finger at Roman’s shoulder, “ducking out won’t solve anything.”

“But I… Thomas hasn’t tried to create anything in weeks.” Roman sounded a bit desperate.

Anxiety again shrugged. “Maybe that’s just what high school does.” He looked up at him. “Look, I know you’re good at the creative stuff when you have a chance. You can at least wait until we graduate.”

“I… suppose I could.”

“Good.” Anxiety swiped Roman’s cookie, smirked at his indignant squawk, and walked back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on tumblr! esperinkdraws


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god this one is so much longer than the other ones
> 
> a post I saw a while ago: remember that when thomas was 19 his morality borrowed a dollar from his creativity  
me: *taking notes* interesting.
> 
> anyway, stuffs: food/mentions, general insecurity/worry, you know, basically the same as the rest of the fic

Patton was sitting on his hands, on the kitchen floor, as he stared into the oven. The oven light was on, and there were cookies baking inside.

That’s where Anxiety found him when he followed the anxiety, at least.

Anxiety didn’t say anything for a few moments, and Patton didn’t notice, just staring into the oven with a blank, almost expressionless expression. But Anxiety could notice the little tics that usually happened when Patton was full of negative emotion or energy. Patton was getting better at hiding them.

“Hey,” Anxiety said, and Patton looked up, quickly putting on a smile.

“Hey, Anxiety!” Patton said cheerily. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I noticed.” Anxiety shrugged, moving to stand next to where Patton was still sitting. Patton returned his gaze to the oven. “You doing okay?”

“Of course!” Patton said, adjusting so that he was sitting cross-legged now, his hands at his knees, looking back at Anxiety. “What about you, though? How are you doing?”

Anxiety sunk down to sit next to him. “That’s not the question I need answered today.”

Patton’s expression flickered closed as he messed with his ratty old bracelet. “I’m fine,” he said shortly.

Anxiety sighed and rolled his eyes, but he didn’t push. He sat with Patton as he waited for the cookies to bake. He wondered what type they were, but he felt asking that would interrupt his objective.

There were two minutes left on the timer when Patton sighed softly. “Anxiety…,” he started, and he hesitated. “Do you ever wonder if there’s a point?”

“What?” Anxiety raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

Patton started to mess with his bracelet again. “A point. There’s been… so many changes and so many choices lately. What if we make the wrong ones? What if… what if I do something wrong?” He looked somewhat distressed.

“Do you think that college will lead Thomas down the wrong path?” Anxiety asked.

“Not college, exactly,” Patton said. “But… he has a lot more choices as an adult now, doesn’t he?” A lot more mistakes could be made, but neither of them said that outright. “What if…” Patton looked down.

The timer beeped, and Anxiety jumped up to take the cookies out of the oven. He set them on the stove to cool, before taking off the oven mitts and sitting back down next to Patton.

“You can’t leave,” he said.

Patton stopped messing with his bracelet and looked at him. “Why not?”

Anxiety didn’t usually do this. He was _the literal embodiment of anxiety_, it was his _job_ to believe something was going to go wrong and to worry about that.

But he sighed and turned to face Patton. Taking a deep breath, he said as calmly as he could, “Because everything is going to be okay.”

Patton stopped whatever he was doing with his hands and stared at him. Anxiety couldn’t tell what he was thinking, so he stood again to check how the cookies had baked.

“Do you really think so?” Patton asked softly.

“I’ll bet you a dollar,” Anxiety said, turning back to look at the other.

“I don’t have one.”

“Borrow one from Princey, then.” Anxiety shrugged. “Either way, I _bet_ everything will be okay.”

“Everything will be okay,” Patton repeated to himself, looking back up to smile at Anxiety, but the other had already left. Still, though, in case he lost the bet, he borrowed a dollar from Roman later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're only a chapter or two away from the end and if i'm being honest, i'm not too sure how i'll end this.
> 
> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws

**Author's Note:**

> Personal note: while I have no control over what people do, I think it would be very awesome and nice if anybody who comments on this does not use trash man’s name, as it has a negative effect on me and even the name was difficult to type in the tags.
> 
> also, hey, come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


End file.
